Multiple storage assembly

ABSTRACT

A multiple storage assembly provides an insulated housing comprising a plurality of segregated, independent compartments accessible by lids and drawers. The drawers provide a locking mechanism that helps inhibit accidental opening, and entry by children or animals. A housing stores food and beverages at cool temperatures. The housing includes an outer surface having a bottom wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. The walls form a cavity. At least one barrier segregates the cavity into multiple lid compartments. Lids provide access to the lid compartments. Drawers having drawer compartments and a lower surface with a protruding lock slide in and out of housing on a rail. The protruding lock engages a depression in the rail to help restrain the drawers in the closed position. A mobile portion and a handle portion enable maneuvering and mobility of the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

RELATED CO-PENDING U.S. PATENT APPLICATIONS

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF SEQUENCE LISTING PROVIDED AS A TEXT FILE

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FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection by the author thereof. Thecopyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyoneof the patent document or patent disclosure for the purposes ofreferencing as patent prior art, as it appears in the Patent andTrademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE RELEVANT PRIOR ART

One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to a multiplestorage assembly. More particularly, certain embodiments of theinvention relates to a storage assembly that provides an insulatedhousing having separate independent storage compartments and lidsallowing for compartmentalized transportation and storage of both wetitems, dry items, fragile items, and weighted items, where at least aportion of the compartments may include a drawer having a lower surfacethat slides along a rail in the compartment, where the lower surface ofthe drawer has a protruding lock that mates with a depression in therail to at least partially restrict the drawer from moving to an openposition without elevating the drawer to disengage the lockingprojection with the depression.

The following background information may present examples of specificaspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts,or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educatethe reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to beconstrued as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof,to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.

The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that,while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as toadditional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limitingthe present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated orimplied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background,another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is thata cooler, or ice chest is an insulated box used to keep food or drinkcool. Ice cubes are most commonly placed in it to help the things insidestay cool. Ice packs are sometimes used, as they either contain themelting water inside, or have a gel sealed inside that stays cold longerthan plain ice.

Typically, a mobile cooler or portable ice chest is most commonly anenclosed insulated structure used to keep food and drink stuffs cool forperiods of time away from a main refrigerated area. Typically ice cubesor some other frozen medium are placed inside the insulated structure toprovide the cooling means. They are usually made from interior andexterior plastic shells with insulating foam in between and come invarious sizes. Portable coolers are a useful piece of equipment for manyoutdoor activities.

Generally, coolers are used in various activities and events. One suchactivity is fishing, in which there is normally a cooler for food, acooler for drinks, a cooler for bait, and perhaps a cooler for holdingcaught fish. The use of multiple coolers is often necessity to preventcross contamination between food and other items. Other examples ofcooler use may include an event where children and adults are sharingthe same cooler containing beer and fruit punch.

In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniquesare not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary multiplestorage assembly with an insulated housing having a plurality of lidsand a plurality of drawers in a closed position, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a multiple storageassembly with a handle portion retracted and extended, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary multiplestorage assembly with an insulated housing having a plurality of lids inan open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary multiplestorage assembly with an insulated housing having a plurality of drawersin an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate close up views of a drawer lower surfacecomprising a locking projection, and a depression in the rail that mateswith the locking projection to at least partially restrict displacementof the drawer, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a close up view of a handle portion using a mobileportion as a fulcrum to move the insulated housing, in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a top perspective view of a housing with a firstarrangement of opened and closed lids and drawers containing a pluralityof items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;and

FIG. 8 illustrates a top perspective view of a housing with a secondarrangement of opened and closed lids and drawers containing a pluralityof items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are notnecessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailedfigures and description set forth herein.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to theFigures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthe detailed description given herein with respect to these figures isfor explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limitedembodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled inthe art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention,recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, dependingupon the needs of the particular application, to implement thefunctionality of any given detail described herein, beyond theparticular implementation choices in the following embodiments describedand shown. That is, there are modifications and variations of theinvention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within thescope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as pluraland vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, whereappropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply thatthe two are mutually exclusive.

It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limitedto the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturingtechniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary.It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used forthe purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is notintended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be notedthat as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is areference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof knownto those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a referenceto “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or meansand may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions usedare to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, theword “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical“or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the contextclearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to beunderstood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures.Language that may be construed to express approximation should be sounderstood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

All words of approximation as used in the present disclosure and claimsshould be construed to mean “approximate,” rather than “perfect,” andmay accordingly be employed as a meaningful modifier to any other word,specified parameter, quantity, quality, or concept. Words ofapproximation, include, yet are not limited to terms such as“substantial”, “nearly”, “almost”, “about”, “generally”, “largely”,“essentially”, “closely approximate”, etc.

As will be established in some detail below, it is well settle law, asearly as 1939, that words of approximation are not indefinite in theclaims even when such limits are not defined or specified in thespecification.

For example, see Ex parte Mallory, 52 USPQ 297, 297 (Pat. Off. Bd. App.1941) where the court said “The examiner has held that most of theclaims are inaccurate because apparently the laminar film will not beentirely eliminated. The claims specify that the film is “substantially”eliminated and for the intended purpose, it is believed that the slightportion of the film which may remain is negligible. We are of the view,therefore, that the claims may be regarded as sufficiently accurate.”

Note that claims need only “reasonably apprise those skilled in the art”as to their scope to satisfy the definiteness requirement. See EnergyAbsorption Sys., Inc. v. Roadway Safety Servs., Inc., Civ. App. 96-1264,slip op. at 10 (Fed. Cir. Jul. 3, 1997) (unpublished) Hybridtech v.Monoclonal Antibodies, Inc., 802 F.2d 1367, 1385, 231 USPQ 81, 94 (Fed.Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 947 (1987). In addition, the use ofmodifiers in the claim, like “generally” and “substantial,” does not byitself render the claims indefinite. See Seattle Box Co. v. IndustrialCrating & Packing, Inc., 731 F.2d 818, 828-29, 221 USPQ 568, 575-76(Fed. Cir. 1984).

Moreover, the ordinary and customary meaning of terms like“substantially” includes “reasonably close to: nearly, almost, about”,connoting a term of approximation. See In re Frye, Appeal No.2009-006013, 94 USPQ2d 1072, 1077, 2010 WL 889747 (B.P.A.I. 2010)Depending on its usage, the word “substantially” can denote eitherlanguage of approximation or language of magnitude. Deering PrecisionInstruments, L.L.C. v. Vector Distribution Sys., Inc., 347 F.3d 1314,1323 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (recognizing the “dual ordinary meaning of th[e]term [“substantially”] as connoting a term of approximation or a term ofmagnitude”). Here, when referring to the “substantially halfway”limitation, the Specification uses the word “approximately” as asubstitute for the word “substantially” (Fact 4). (Fact 4). The ordinarymeaning of “substantially halfway” is thus reasonably close to or nearlyat the midpoint between the forwardmost point of the upper or outsoleand the rearwardmost point of the upper or outsole.

Similarly, the term ‘substantially’ is well recognized in case law tohave the dual ordinary meaning of connoting a term of approximation or aterm of magnitude. See Dana Corp. v. American Axle & Manufacturing,Inc., Civ. App. 04-1116, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 18265, *13-14 (Fed. Cir.Aug. 27, 2004) (unpublished). The term “substantially” is commonly usedby claim drafters to indicate approximation. See Cordis Corp. v.Medtronic AVE Inc., 339 F.3d 1352, 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“The patentsdo not set out any numerical standard by which to determine whether thethickness of the wall surface is ‘substantially uniform.’ The term‘substantially,’ as used in this context, denotes approximation. Thus,the walls must be of largely or approximately uniform thickness.”); seealso Deering Precision Instruments, LLC v. Vector Distribution Sys.,Inc., 347 F.3d 1314, 1322 (Fed. Cir. 2003); Epcon Gas Sys., Inc. v.Bauer Compressors, Inc., 279 F.3d 1022, 1031 (Fed. Cir. 2002). We findthat the term “substantially” was used in just such a manner in theclaims of the patents-in-suit: “substantially uniform wall thickness”denotes a wall thickness with approximate uniformity.

It should also be noted that such words of approximation as contemplatedin the foregoing clearly limits the scope of claims such as saying‘generally parallel’ such that the adverb ‘generally’ does not broadenthe meaning of parallel. Accordingly, it is well settled that such wordsof approximation as contemplated in the foregoing (e.g., like the phrase‘generally parallel’) envisions some amount of deviation from perfection(e.g., not exactly parallel), and that such words of approximation ascontemplated in the foregoing are descriptive terms commonly used inpatent claims to avoid a strict numerical boundary to the specifiedparameter. To the extent that the plain language of the claims relyingon such words of approximation as contemplated in the foregoing areclear and uncontradicted by anything in the written description hereinor the figures thereof, it is improper to rely upon the present writtendescription, the figures, or the prosecution history to add limitationsto any of the claim of the present invention with respect to such wordsof approximation as contemplated in the foregoing. That is, under suchcircumstances, relying on the written description and prosecutionhistory to reject the ordinary and customary meanings of the wordsthemselves is impermissible. See, for example, Liquid Dynamics Corp. v.Vaughan Co., 355 F.3d 1361, 69 USPQ2d 1595, 1600-01 (Fed. Cir. 2004).The plain language of phrase 2 requires a “substantial helical flow.”The term “substantial” is a meaningful modifier implying “approximate,”rather than “perfect.” In Cordis Corp. v. Medtronic AVE, Inc., 339 F.3d1352, 1361 (Fed. Cir. 2003), the district court imposed a precisenumeric constraint on the term “substantially uniform thickness.” Wenoted that the proper interpretation of this term was “of largely orapproximately uniform thickness” unless something in the prosecutionhistory imposed the “clear and unmistakable disclaimer” needed fornarrowing beyond this simple-language interpretation. Id. In Anchor WallSystems v. Rockwood Retaining Walls, Inc., 340 F.3d 1298, 1311 (Fed.Cir. 2003)” Id. at 1311. Similarly, the plain language of claim 1requires neither a perfectly helical flow nor a flow that returnsprecisely to the center after one rotation (a limitation that arisesonly as a logical consequence of requiring a perfectly helical flow).

The reader should appreciate that case law generally recognizes a dualordinary meaning of such words of approximation, as contemplated in theforegoing, as connoting a term of approximation or a term of magnitude;e.g., see Deering Precision Instruments, L.L.C. v. Vector Distrib. Sys.,Inc., 347 F.3d 1314, 68 USPQ2d 1716, 1721 (Fed. Cir. 2003), cert.denied, 124 S. Ct. 1426 (2004) where the court was asked to construe themeaning of the term “substantially” in a patent claim. Also see Epcon,279 F.3d at 1031 (“The phrase ‘substantially constant’ denotes languageof approximation, while the phrase ‘substantially below’ signifieslanguage of magnitude, i.e., not insubstantial.”). Also, see, e.g.,Epcon Gas Sys., Inc. v. Bauer Compressors, Inc., 279 F.3d 1022 (Fed.Cir. 2002) (construing the terms “substantially constant” and“substantially below”); Zodiac Pool Care, Inc. v. Hoffinger Indus.,Inc., 206 F.3d 1408 (Fed. Cir. 2000) (construing the term “substantiallyinward”); York Prods., Inc. v. Cent. Tractor Farm & Family Ctr., 99 F.3d1568 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (construing the term “substantially the entireheight thereof”); Tex. Instruments Inc. v. Cypress Semiconductor Corp.,90 F.3d 1558 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (construing the term “substantially in thecommon plane”). In conducting their analysis, the court instructed tobegin with the ordinary meaning of the claim terms to one of ordinaryskill in the art. Prima Tek, 318 F.3d at 1148. Reference to dictionariesand our cases indicates that the term “substantially” has numerousordinary meanings. As the district court stated, “substantially” canmean “significantly” or “considerably.” The term “substantially” canalso mean “largely” or “essentially.” Webster's New 20th CenturyDictionary 1817 (1983).

Words of approximation, as contemplated in the foregoing, may also beused in phrases establishing approximate ranges or limits, where the endpoints are inclusive and approximate, not perfect; e.g., see AK SteelCorp. v. Sollac, 344 F.3d 1234, 68 USPQ2d 1280, 1285 (Fed. Cir. 2003)where it where the court said [W]e conclude that the ordinary meaning ofthe phrase “up to about 10%” includes the “about 10%” endpoint. Aspointed out by AK Steel, when an object of the preposition “up to” isnonnumeric, the most natural meaning is to exclude the object (e.g.,painting the wall up to the door). On the other hand, as pointed out bySollac, when the object is a numerical limit, the normal meaning is toinclude that upper numerical limit (e.g., counting up to ten, seatingcapacity for up to seven passengers). Because we have here a numericallimit—“about 10%”—the ordinary meaning is that that endpoint isincluded.

In the present specification and claims, a goal of employment of suchwords of approximation, as contemplated in the foregoing, is to avoid astrict numerical boundary to the modified specified parameter, assanctioned by Pall Corp. v. Micron Separations, Inc., 66 F.3d 1211,1217, 36 USPQ2d 1225, 1229 (Fed. Cir. 1995) where it states “It is wellestablished that when the term “substantially” serves reasonably todescribe the subject matter so that its scope would be understood bypersons in the field of the invention, and to distinguish the claimedsubject matter from the prior art, it is not indefinite.” Likewise seeVerve LLC v. Crane Cams Inc., 311 F.3d 1116, 65 USPQ2d 1051, 1054 (Fed.Cir. 2002). Expressions such as “substantially” are used in patentdocuments when warranted by the nature of the invention, in order toaccommodate the minor variations that may be appropriate to secure theinvention. Such usage may well satisfy the charge to “particularly pointout and distinctly claim” the invention, 35 U.S.C. § 112, and indeed maybe necessary in order to provide the inventor with the benefit of hisinvention. In Andrew Corp. v. Gabriel Elecs. Inc., 847 F.2d 819, 821-22,6 USPQ2d 2010, 2013 (Fed. Cir. 1988) the court explained that usagessuch as “substantially equal” and “closely approximate” may serve todescribe the invention with precision appropriate to the technology andwithout intruding on the prior art. The court again explained in EcolabInc. v. Envirochem, Inc., 264 F.3d 1358, 1367, 60 USPQ2d 1173, 1179(Fed. Cir. 2001) that “like the term ‘about,’ the term ‘substantially’is a descriptive term commonly used in patent claims to ‘avoid a strictnumerical boundary to the specified parameter, see Ecolab Inc. v.Envirochem Inc., 264 F.3d 1358, 60 USPQ2d 1173, 1179 (Fed. Cir. 2001)where the court found that the use of the term “substantially” to modifythe term “uniform” does not render this phrase so unclear such thatthere is no means by which to ascertain the claim scope.

Similarly, other courts have noted that like the term “about,” the term“substantially” is a descriptive term commonly used in patent claims to“avoid a strict numerical boundary to the specified parameter.”, e.g.,see Pall Corp. v. Micron Seps., 66 F.3d 1211, 1217, 36 USPQ2d 1225, 1229(Fed. Cir. 1995); see, e.g., Andrew Corp. v. Gabriel Elecs. Inc., 847F.2d 819, 821-22, 6 USPQ2d 2010, 2013 (Fed. Cir. 1988) (noting thatterms such as “approach each other,” “close to,” “substantially equal,”and “closely approximate” are ubiquitously used in patent claims andthat such usages, when serving reasonably to describe the claimedsubject matter to those of skill in the field of the invention, and todistinguish the claimed subject matter from the prior art, have beenaccepted in patent examination and upheld by the courts). In this case,“substantially” avoids the strict 100% nonuniformity boundary.

Indeed, the foregoing sanctioning of such words of approximation, ascontemplated in the foregoing, has been established as early as 1939,see Ex parte Mallory, 52 USPQ 297, 297 (Pat. Off. Bd. App. 1941) where,for example, the court said “the claims specify that the film is“substantially” eliminated and for the intended purpose, it is believedthat the slight portion of the film which may remain is negligible. Weare of the view, therefore, that the claims may be regarded assufficiently accurate.” Similarly, In re Hutchison, 104 F.2d 829, 42USPQ 90, 93 (C.C.P.A. 1939) the court said “It is realized that“substantial distance” is a relative and somewhat indefinite term, orphrase, but terms and phrases of this character are not uncommon inpatents in cases where, according to the art involved, the meaning canbe determined with reasonable clearness.”

Hence, for at least the forgoing reason, Applicants submit that it isimproper for any examiner to hold as indefinite any claims of thepresent patent that employ any words of approximation.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods,techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods,techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to thosedescribed herein may be used in the practice or testing of the presentinvention. Structures described herein are to be understood also torefer to functional equivalents of such structures. The presentinvention will be described in detail below with reference toembodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

References to a “device,” an “apparatus,” a “system,” etc., in thepreamble of a claim should be construed broadly to mean “any structuremeeting the claim terms” exempt for any specific structure(s)/type(s)that has/(have) been explicitly disavowed or excluded oradmitted/implied as prior art in the present specification or incapableof enabling an object/aspect/goal of the invention. Furthermore, wherethe present specification discloses an object, aspect, function, goal,result, or advantage of the invention that a specific prior artstructure and/or method step is similarly capable of performing yet in avery different way, the present invention disclosure is intended to andshall also implicitly include and cover additional correspondingalternative embodiments that are otherwise identical to that explicitlydisclosed except that they exclude such prior art structure(s)/step(s),and shall accordingly be deemed as providing sufficient disclosure tosupport a corresponding negative limitation in a claim claiming suchalternative embodiment(s), which exclude such very different prior artstructure(s)/step(s) way(s).

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modificationswill be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations andmodifications may involve equivalent and other features which arealready known in the art, and which may be used instead of or inaddition to features already described herein.

Although Claims have been formulated in this Application to particularcombinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of thedisclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature orany novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly orimplicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates tothe same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and whether or notit mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does thepresent invention.

Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments mayalso be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely,various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of asingle embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitablesubcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new Claims may beformulated to such features and/or combinations of such features duringthe prosecution of the present Application or of any further Applicationderived therefrom.

References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,”“various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “embodiments of theinvention,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the inventionso described may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but not every possible embodiment of the inventionnecessarily includes the particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,”or “in an exemplary embodiment,” “an embodiment,” do not necessarilyrefer to the same embodiment, although they may. Moreover, any use ofphrases like “embodiments” in connection with “the invention” are nevermeant to characterize that all embodiments of the invention must includethe particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and should insteadbe understood to mean “at least some embodiments of the invention”includes the stated particular feature, structure, or characteristic.

References to “user”, or any similar term, as used herein, may mean ahuman or non-human user thereof. Moreover, “user”, or any similar term,as used herein, unless expressly stipulated otherwise, is contemplatedto mean users at any stage of the usage process, to include, withoutlimitation, direct user(s), intermediate user(s), indirect user(s), andend user(s). The meaning of “user”, or any similar term, as used herein,should not be otherwise inferred or induced by any pattern(s) ofdescription, embodiments, examples, or referenced prior-art that may (ormay not) be provided in the present patent.

References to “end user”, or any similar term, as used herein, isgenerally intended to mean late stage user(s) as opposed to early stageuser(s). Hence, it is contemplated that there may be a multiplicity ofdifferent types of “end user” near the end stage of the usage process.Where applicable, especially with respect to distribution channels ofembodiments of the invention comprising consumed retailproducts/services thereof (as opposed to sellers/vendors or OriginalEquipment Manufacturers), examples of an “end user” may include, withoutlimitation, a “consumer”, “buyer”, “customer”, “purchaser”, “shopper”,“enjoyer”, “viewer”, or individual person or non-human thing benefitingin any way, directly or indirectly, from use of. or interaction, withsome aspect of the present invention.

In some situations, some embodiments of the present invention mayprovide beneficial usage to more than one stage or type of usage in theforegoing usage process. In such cases where multiple embodimentstargeting various stages of the usage process are described, referencesto “end user”, or any similar term, as used therein, are generallyintended to not include the user that is the furthest removed, in theforegoing usage process, from the final user therein of an embodiment ofthe present invention.

Where applicable, especially with respect to retail distributionchannels of embodiments of the invention, intermediate user(s) mayinclude, without limitation, any individual person or non-human thingbenefiting in any way, directly or indirectly, from use of, orinteraction with, some aspect of the present invention with respect toselling, vending, Original Equipment Manufacturing, marketing,merchandising, distributing, service providing, and the like thereof.

References to “person”, “individual”, “human”, “a party”, “animal”,“creature”, or any similar term, as used herein, even if the context orparticular embodiment implies living user, maker, or participant, itshould be understood that such characterizations are sole by way ofexample, and not limitation, in that it is contemplated that any suchusage, making, or participation by a living entity in connection withmaking, using, and/or participating, in any way, with embodiments of thepresent invention may be substituted by such similar performed by asuitably configured non-living entity, to include, without limitation,automated machines, robots, humanoids, computational systems,information processing systems, artificially intelligent systems, andthe like. It is further contemplated that those skilled in the art willreadily recognize the practical situations where such living makers,users, and/or participants with embodiments of the present invention maybe in whole, or in part, replaced with such non-living makers, users,and/or participants with embodiments of the present invention. Likewise,when those skilled in the art identify such practical situations wheresuch living makers, users, and/or participants with embodiments of thepresent invention may be in whole, or in part, replaced with suchnon-living makers, it will be readily apparent in light of the teachingsof the present invention how to adapt the described embodiments to besuitable for such non-living makers, users, and/or participants withembodiments of the present invention. Thus, the invention is thus toalso cover all such modifications, equivalents, and alternatives fallingwithin the spirit and scope of such adaptations and modifications, atleast in part, for such non-living entities.

Headings provided herein are for convenience and are not to be taken aslimiting the disclosure in any way.

The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of theitems are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.

It is understood that the use of specific component, device and/orparameter names are for example only and not meant to imply anylimitations on the invention. The invention may thus be implemented withdifferent nomenclature/terminology utilized to describe themechanisms/units/structures/components/devices/parameters herein,without limitation. Each term utilized herein is to be given itsbroadest interpretation given the context in which that term isutilized.

Terminology

The following paragraphs provide definitions and/or context for termsfound in this disclosure (including the appended claims):

“Comprising.” This term is open-ended. As used in the appended claims,this term does not foreclose additional structure or steps. Consider aclaim that recites: “A memory controller comprising a system cache . . ..” Such a claim does not foreclose the memory controller from includingadditional components (e.g., a memory channel unit, a switch).

“Configured To.” Various units, circuits, or other components may bedescribed or claimed as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In suchcontexts, “configured to” or “operable for” is used to connote structureby indicating that the mechanisms/units/circuits/components includestructure (e.g., circuitry and/or mechanisms) that performs the task ortasks during operation. As such, the mechanisms/unit/circuit/componentcan be said to be configured to (or be operable) for perform(ing) thetask even when the specified mechanisms/unit/circuit/component is notcurrently operational (e.g., is not on). Themechanisms/units/circuits/components used with the “configured to” or“operable for” language include hardware—for example, mechanisms,structures, electronics, circuits, memory storing program instructionsexecutable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that amechanism/unit/circuit/component is “configured to” or “operable for”perform(ing) one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35U.S.C. .sctn.112, sixth paragraph, for thatmechanism/unit/circuit/component. “Configured to” may also includeadapting a manufacturing process to fabricate devices or components thatare adapted to implement or perform one or more tasks.

“Based On.” As used herein, this term is used to describe one or morefactors that affect a determination. This term does not forecloseadditional factors that may affect a determination. That is, adetermination may be solely based on those factors or based, at least inpart, on those factors. Consider the phrase “determine A based on B.”While B may be a factor that affects the determination of A, such aphrase does not foreclose the determination of A from also being basedon C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B.

The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing conditions,concentrations, dimensions, and so forth used in the specification andclaims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by theterm “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, thenumerical parameters set forth in the following specification andattached claims are approximations that may vary depending at least upona specific analytical technique.

The term “comprising,” which is synonymous with “including,”“containing,” or “characterized by” is inclusive or open-ended and doesnot exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising”is a term of art used in claim language which means that the named claimelements are essential, but other claim elements may be added and stillform a construct within the scope of the claim.

As used herein, the phase “consisting of” excludes any element, step, oringredient not specified in the claim. When the phrase “consists of” (orvariations thereof) appears in a clause of the body of a claim, ratherthan immediately following the preamble, it limits only the element setforth in that clause; other elements are not excluded from the claim asa whole. As used herein, the phase “consisting essentially of” and“consisting of” limits the scope of a claim to the specified elements ormethod steps, plus those that do not materially affect the basis andnovel characteristic(s) of the claimed subject matter (see Norian Corp.v Stryker Corp., 363 F.3d 1321, 1331-32, 70 USPQ2d 1508, Fed. Cir.2004). Moreover, for any claim of the present invention which claims anembodiment “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of” a certain setof elements of any herein described embodiment it shall be understood asobvious by those skilled in the art that the present invention alsocovers all possible varying scope variants of any describedembodiment(s) that are each exclusively (i.e., “consisting essentiallyof”) functional subsets or functional combination thereof such that eachof these plurality of exclusive varying scope variants each consistsessentially of any functional subset(s) and/or functional combination(s)of any set of elements of any described embodiment(s) to the exclusionof any others not set forth therein. That is, it is contemplated that itwill be obvious to those skilled how to create a multiplicity ofalternate embodiments of the present invention that simply consistingessentially of a certain functional combination of elements of anydescribed embodiment(s) to the exclusion of any others not set forththerein, and the invention thus covers all such exclusive embodiments asif they were each described herein.

With respect to the terms “comprising,” “consisting of,” and “consistingessentially of” where one of these three terms is used herein, thepresently disclosed and claimed subject matter may include the use ofeither of the other two terms. Thus in some embodiments not otherwiseexplicitly recited, any instance of “comprising” may be replaced by“consisting of” or, alternatively, by “consisting essentially of”, andthus, for the purposes of claim support and construction for “consistingof” format claims, such replacements operate to create yet otheralternative embodiments “consisting essentially of” only the elementsrecited in the original “comprising” embodiment to the exclusion of allother elements.

Devices or system modules that are in at least general communicationwith each other need not be in continuous communication with each other,unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices or systemmodules that are in at least general communication with each other maycommunicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communicationwith each other does not imply that all such components are required. Onthe contrary a variety of optional components are described toillustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the presentinvention.

As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerationsand compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimalmanufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and inparticular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercialimplementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of thepresent invention may configured according to the needs of theparticular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s),result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachingsrelated to any described embodiment of the present invention may besuitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improvedand/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skillsand known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation thataddresses the needs of the particular application.

In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” and“connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should beunderstood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other.Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicatethat two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contactwith each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are indirect physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also meanthat two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, butyet still cooperate or interact with each other.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toembodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

There are various types of insulated containers that may be provided bypreferred embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, amultiple storage assembly provides an insulated housing comprising aplurality of segregated, independent compartments accessible by lids anddrawers. The drawers provide a unique locking mechanism that helps toinhibit accidental opening of the drawer, and also inhibits entry bychildren or animals. A mobile portion and a handle portion work togetherto enable facilitated mobility of the insulated housing. In oneexemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a rectangular ice chest,base storage compartments on each lateral end of that ice chest,retractable drawers in the center of that ice chest, and a separatestorage compartment directly above the top-most retractable drawer.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary multiplestorage assembly 100. In one aspect, the multiple storage assembly mayprovide a housing 102 used for storing food and beverages at a cooltemperature. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a cooler, orice chest, is an insulated box used to keep food or drink cool. Icecubes are most commonly placed in it to help the things inside staycool. When camping, picnicking, boating, or going to the beach, food andbeverages may be kept cool and last longer when secured in the cooler.Further, wet items, dry items, fragile items, and weighted items may bemaintained in separate compartments to enhance quality thereof.

In some embodiments, the housing may include an outer surface formed bya bottom wall, a first end wall 102, a second end wall, a first sidewall 104, and a second side wall. The walls may form a cavity that issegregated into multiple compartments by barriers. The walls may includean upper edge 120 that forms an opening into the cavity. In someembodiments, the housing may have a generally rectangular shape. Thoughin other embodiments, the housing may be shaped in other dimensions,including, without limitation, cubicle, circular, and pyramidal. In oneembodiment, the housing may be dimensioned approximately thirty-eightand one-half inches in length by fourteen and one-half inches in widthby sixteen and one-half inches in height (38½″×14½″×16½″).

Suitable materials for the housing may include, without limitation,polyethylene (PE), aluminum, and aluminum alloy. The housing may bedecorated in many colors and may feature various colors, patterns,images, icons and/or logos, which may or may not be of registeredtrademark and/or copyright status.

In some embodiments, the housing may have a thermally insulatinginterior wall. The thermally insulating interior wall may be receivedwithin the insulated housing cavity to help insulate against heat. Thus,the thermally insulating interior wall allows the container to operateas a cooler.

In one embodiment, the housing may be defined by a continuous sidewallthat forms a plurality of wet compartments and a plurality of drycompartments that segregate the contents. The separate compartments mayhelp eliminate possible cross-contamination as well as provide differentthermal conditioning of the contents. The compartments are completelyindependent of each other having an interior divider wall extendingcompletely through the body of the housing and continuing into a lidarea, thereby sealing independent compartments. In some embodiments,each compartment may include a drainage aperture 116.

In some embodiments, the housing may include separate independentstorage lids and drawers allowing for compartmentalized transportationand storage of both wet items and dry items. At least a portion of thecompartments may include a plurality of drawers 118 a, 118 b that slidein and out of the cavity of the housing to enable access to the contentsin the drawer. The plurality of drawers comprise a continuous drawersidewall, a lower surface, and a plurality of drawer compartments. Atleast one drawer handle 122 a, 122 b on the drawer may provide a gripfor pulling the drawer.

In some embodiments, a top drawer may be dimensioned approximatelytwelve inches in length by twelve inches in width by eight inches inheight (12″×12″×8″). A lower drawer may be dimensioned approximatelytwelve inches in length by twelve inches in width by four inches inheight (12″×12″×4″).

At least a portion of the compartments may include, a plurality of lids106 a, 106 b, 106 c that join with the upper edge of the housing. Thelids may hingedly attach to one of the upper edges to enable hingedaccess to the individual compartments in the cavity of the insulatedhousing. The lid regulates access to the cavity of the housing. The lidmay be pivotally attached to the top of the housing, so as to bepivotable between an open position and a closed position that enclosesthe body cavity of the housing. In one embodiment, the lid may also haveinsulative properties. In some embodiments, the lids may include a lidouter surface 114 and a lid inner surface. The upper surface of the lidcomprises at least one depression 108 a, 108 b, 108 c. The depressionmay be circular and sized to receive a can.

In some embodiments, the insulated housing may further include a mobileportion 110 that enables mobile transportation of the insulated housing.The mobile portion may include a pair of large wheels that rotate aboutan axis. In one embodiment, the pair of large wheels measureapproximately four inches in diameter by one and one-half inches inwidth (4″×1½″).

The first and second ends of the insulated housing may include at leastone handle portion 112 a, 112 b. The handle portion 112 a may have agenerally U-shape and be about 4″ in width. The U-shaped handlefacilitates manipulation and carrying of the container. The handleportion may include a handle positioned on each end wall.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a housing with a handleportion retracted and extended. In one aspect, the handle portion 112 bmay be configured to telescopically extend and retract from one endwall. In this configuration, the handle retracts into a channel. In oneembodiment, the telescopic handle is approximately 42″ in fully-extendedlength. Upon extension, the mobile portion serves as a fulcrum for thehousing to enable rolling of the insulated housing by pulling or pushingwith the handle portion. In other embodiments, the U-shaped handle mayextend from a second end wall 202, while the telescopic handle extendsfrom a second side wall 204. Though the handle portion may position onany wall of the housing.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary multiplestorage assembly with an insulated housing having a plurality of lids inan open position. In the open position, a cavity 302 in the housing isexposed. The cavity may be segregated by at least one barrier 306 a, 306b that segregate the cavity into a plurality of lid compartments 304 a,304 b, 304 c. Each lid compartment may be accessed independently of eachother. In some embodiments, each lid compartment may be sealed and maycontain different items. This may inhibit transfer of smell or moisturebetween lid compartments.

In one embodiment, a center lid compartment is dimensioned atapproximately twelve inches in length by twelve inches in depth by fourinches in height (12″×12″×4″). A pair of side lid compartments may bedimensioned at approximately twelve inches in length by twelve inches inwidth by sixteen inches in height (12″×12″×16″). Each of the lidcompartments is top-sealed by the hinged lid.

In some embodiments, the housing may have a thermally insulatinginterior wall 308. The thermally insulating interior wall may bereceived within the insulated housing cavity to help insulate againstheat. In one embodiment, the thermally insulating interior wall isdisposed generally coplanar with the first side wall, the second sidewall, the first end wall, and the second end wall. Thus, the thermallyinsulating interior wall allows the container to operate as a cooler. Insome embodiments, the wall may be fabricated from an insulativematerial, including, without limitation, foam, polystyrene, and anonconductive, porous material. The wall may be between ⅛″ to 2″ thick.Though in other embodiments, the container may be a general container,and not have insulative properties. Suitable materials for the thermallyinsulating interior wall may include, without limitation, polyurethane(PU) foam, and in various densities.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary multiplestorage assembly with an insulated housing having a plurality of drawersin an open position. In one aspect, the plurality of drawers comprise acontinuous drawer sidewall 404, a lower surface, and a plurality ofdrawer compartments 402 a, 402 b. The drawers may be displaced to theopen position to reveal the drawer compartment. Similar to the lidcompartment discussed above, each drawer compartment may be accessedindependently of each other. In some embodiments, each drawercompartment may be sealed and may contain different items. This mayinhibit transfer of smell or moisture between lid compartments.

In one embodiment, the lid compartments and the drawer compartments areutilized based on the types of items contained therein. For example, thelid compartments may include two wet compartments and the drawercompartments may include two dry compartments. In this arrangement, thecold radiating from the ice stored in the two wet compartments keeps theitems in the dry compartments chilled but does not allow the dry itemsto be engaged by moisture. In any case, each lid and drawer compartmentmaintains substantially the same cool temperature set in the housing.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrates close up views of a drawer lower surfacecomprising a locking projection, and a depression in the rail that mateswith the locking projection that serves to at least partially restrictdisplacement of the drawer to an open position. In one aspect, theplurality of drawers may include a unique means for at least partiallyrestricting displacement to the open position; and thereby access to thecontents therein. This may especially be useful for inhibiting childrenor animals from accessing the drawer compartment.

In some embodiments, the drawer may include a lower surface 502 thatslides along a rail 504 in the drawer compartment to move between anopen position and a closed position. The lower surface of the drawercomprises a locking projection 506 that mates with a depression 508 inthe rail to at least partially restrict the drawer from moving to anopen position. The drawer moves to the open position by elevating thedrawer to disengage the locking projection from the depression, and thensliding the drawer along the rail to the open position. In this manner,the drawer is difficult to open for children and animals, and preventsthe drawers from accidently opening during transport. The drawer movesand locks into the closed position as the locking projection engages thedepression.

FIG. 6 illustrates a close up view of a handle portion using a mobileportion as a fulcrum to move the insulated housing. In one aspect, themobile portion and the handle portion work together to enablefacilitated mobility of the insulated housing. The handle portion mayhave a generally U-shape and facilitate manipulation and carrying of thecontainer. The handle portion may include a handle positioned on eachend wall. The mobile portion may include a pair of large wheels thatrotate about an axis. The handle portion may be configured to serve as afulcrum for the housing to enable rolling of the insulated housing bypulling or pushing with the handle portion. In one alternativeembodiment, the mobile portion may lock. In this arrangement, thehousing may be tipped over to drain liquids through the drainageaperture.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top perspective view of a housing with a firstarrangement of open lids and drawers containing a plurality of items 702a, 702 b. In one aspect, the housing may provide multiple lid and drawercompartments that protectively store items and segregate the items,preventing small or soft, fragile items 702 a, such as vegetables andbread, from becoming smashed by large or weighted items 702 b, such ascans of beverages and food containers. This compartmentalization mayalso serve to prevent dry items such as bread from becoming wet frommelting ice, and also to prevent cross-contamination of food items.

In one exemplary use of the compartments, items in a first lidcompartment stores items that require a cool, dry environment, as wellas items that do not need to be mixed with other items. Items in asecond lid compartment store ice and drinks, making this achild-friendly compartment. Items in the bottom, large drawercompartment receive items that require a cool, dry environment, as wellas items that do not need to be mixed with other items.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top perspective view of a housing with a secondarrangement of open lids and drawers. In one aspect, the segregation ofcompartments allows items to be segregated based on the age of theusers, and then easily monitored to ensure compliance by underagepeople. For example, without limitation, alcohol can be stored in onewet compartment and soda in the other. Further, if a minor access thewrong compartment an adult can easily see they are in the wrong side ofthe cooler and take corrective action.

As FIG. 8 illustrates, an end lid compartment contains ice and bottleddrinks, while a top drawer compartment contains fruit. Though in otherarrangements, any combination of food, drinks, bait, dry goods,medicine, and garments may be stored in the various lid and drawercompartments, as needed.

The multiple storage assembly may be especially beneficial to users whoattend picnics, because of the many consumable items commonly brought tothe environments of such event. By segregating each type of item whilestill maintaining their needed temperatures, the items are enhanced. Theassembly may also benefit users who engage in outdoor barbecuing,because of the many consumable items used in the environments ofbarbecuing. Construction workers, soldiers, and travelers may alsobenefit from the segregated compartments of the assembly.

All the features disclosed in this specification, including anyaccompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternativefeatures serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unlessexpressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise,each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series ofequivalent or similar features.

It is noted that according to USA law 35 USC § 112 (1), all claims mustbe supported by sufficient disclosure in the present patentspecification, and any material known to those skilled in the art neednot be explicitly disclosed. However, 35 USC § 112 (6) requires thatstructures corresponding to functional limitations interpreted under 35USC § 112 (6) must be explicitly disclosed in the patent specification.Moreover, the USPTO's Examination policy of initially treating andsearching prior art under the broadest interpretation of a “mean for”claim limitation implies that the broadest initial search on 112(6)functional limitation would have to be conducted to support a legallyvalid Examination on that USPTO policy for broadest interpretation of“mean for” claims. Accordingly, the USPTO will have discovered amultiplicity of prior art documents including disclosure of specificstructures and elements which are suitable to act as correspondingstructures to satisfy all functional limitations in the below claimsthat are interpreted under 35 USC § 112 (6) when such correspondingstructures are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patentspecification. Therefore, for any invention element(s)/structure(s)corresponding to functional claim limitation(s), in the below claimsinterpreted under 35 USC § 112 (6), which is/are not explicitlydisclosed in the foregoing patent specification, yet do exist in thepatent and/or non-patent documents found during the course of USPTOsearching, Applicant(s) incorporate all such functionally correspondingstructures and related enabling material herein by reference for thepurpose of providing explicit structures that implement the functionalmeans claimed. Applicant(s) request(s) that fact finders during anyclaims construction proceedings and/or examination of patentallowability properly identify and incorporate only the portions of eachof these documents discovered during the broadest interpretation searchof 35 USC § 112 (6) limitation, which exist in at least one of thepatent and/or non-patent documents found during the course of normalUSPTO searching and or supplied to the USPTO during prosecution.Applicant(s) also incorporate by reference the bibliographic citationinformation to identify all such documents comprising functionallycorresponding structures and related enabling material as listed in anyPTO Form-892 or likewise any information disclosure statements (IDS)entered into the present patent application by the USPTO or Applicant(s)or any 3^(rd) parties. Applicant(s) also reserve its right to lateramend the present application to explicitly include citations to suchdocuments and/or explicitly include the functionally correspondingstructures which were incorporate by reference above.

Thus, for any invention element(s)/structure(s) corresponding tofunctional claim limitation(s), in the below claims, that areinterpreted under 35 USC § 112 (6), which is/are not explicitlydisclosed in the foregoing patent specification, Applicant(s) haveexplicitly prescribed which documents and material to include theotherwise missing disclosure, and have prescribed exactly which portionsof such patent and/or non-patent documents should be incorporated bysuch reference for the purpose of satisfying the disclosure requirementsof 35 USC § 112 (6). Applicant(s) note that all the identified documentsabove which are incorporated by reference to satisfy 35 USC § 112 (6)necessarily have a filing and/or publication date prior to that of theinstant application, and thus are valid prior documents to incorporatedby reference in the instant application.

Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention,other equivalent or alternative methods of implementing a multiplestorage assembly that is insulated and provides multiple lid accessiblecompartments and drawer accessible compartments for storing differenttypes of items according to the present invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Various aspects of the invention have beendescribed above by way of illustration, and the specific embodimentsdisclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particularforms disclosed. The particular implementation of the multiple storageassembly that is insulated and provides multiple lid accessiblecompartments and drawer accessible compartments for storing differenttypes of items may vary depending upon the particular context orapplication. By way of example, and not limitation, the multiple storageassembly that is insulated and provides multiple lid accessiblecompartments and drawer accessible compartments for storing differenttypes of items described in the foregoing were principally directed toan ice chest that segregates items by providing a plurality of lids toaccess lid compartments and a plurality of drawers to access drawercompartments, and restricting opening of the drawers through aprotruding lock in the drawer and a depression in a rail of thecompartment implementations; however, similar techniques may instead beapplied to any type of container or box that would benefit frommultiple, segregated compartments, which implementations of the presentinvention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention.The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, andalternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the followingclaims. It is to be further understood that not all of the disclosedembodiments in the foregoing specification will necessarily satisfy orachieve each of the objects, advantages, or improvements described inthe foregoing specification.

Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or letteredsolely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numberingand lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken toindicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b)requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the natureand gist of the technical disclosure. That is, the Abstract is providedmerely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify any key oressential features of the claimed subject matter. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret thescope or meaning of the claims.

The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detaileddescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a housing comprising abottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall,and a second end wall, said walls defined by an upper edge, said wallsbeing arranged to form a cavity; at least one barrier being disposed totraverse said cavity, forming a plurality of lid compartments, saidplurality of lid compartments comprising a rail, said rail having adepression; a plurality of lids, said plurality of lids being pivotallyattached to said upper edge of said walls, said plurality of lids beingconfigured to pivot between an open position that enables access to saidplurality of lid compartments, and a closed position that encloses saidplurality of lid compartments, whereby each lid enables access to acorresponding lid compartment; a plurality of drawers comprising a lowersurface, a continuous drawer sidewall, and a drawer compartment, saidplurality of drawers being configured to be displaced to an openposition that enables access to said plurality of drawer compartments,and a closed position that encloses said plurality of drawercompartments, said lower surface being configured to be displaced alongsaid rail; a protruding lock being configured to extend from said lowersurface of said plurality of drawers, said protruding lock beingconfigured to engage said depression of said rail, whereby engagementbetween said protruding lock and said depression helps restrict saidplurality of drawers in said closed position, whereby disengagementbetween said protruding lock and said depression requires a force. 2.The system of claim 1, in which said housing comprises a cooler.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, in which said first end wall of said housingcomprises a drainage aperture.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein saidhousing is dimensioned about 38½ inches in length by 14½ inches in widthby 16½ inches in height.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said housingis substantially rectangular.
 6. The system of claim 5, furthercomprising a thermally insulating interior wall, said thermallyinsulating interior wall being received within said cavity of saidhousing.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said thermally insulatinginterior wall is disposed generally coplanar with said first side wall,said second side wall, said first end wall, and said second end wall. 8.The system of claim 7, in which said thermally insulating interior wallcomprises at least one of the following: foam, polystyrene, and anonconductive, porous material.
 9. The system of claim 8, in which saidplurality of lids comprises three lids.
 10. The system of claim 9,wherein said plurality of lid compartments are dimensioned about 12inches in length by 12 inches in depth by 4 inches in height, and about12 inches in length by 12 inches in depth by 16 inches in height. 11.The system of claim 10, in which said plurality of lids comprises atleast one lid handle.
 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising ahandle portion configured to enable manipulation of said housing. 13.The system of claim 12, in which said handle portion comprises aU-shaped handle and a telescopic handle.
 14. The system of claim 13,further comprising a mobile portion configured to enable mobility ofsaid housing.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said plurality ofdrawers are configured to be slidably displaced along the rail.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein said plurality of drawers comprises twodrawers.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said dimensions of saidplurality of drawers comprises about 12 inches in length by 12 inches inwidth by 8 inches in height.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein saidplurality of lid compartments and said plurality of drawer compartmentsare configured to contain at least one item.
 19. A system comprising:means for cooling; means for accessing pivotable storage means; meansfor accessing slidable storage means; means for segregating deposits insaid pivotable storage means, or said slidable storage means, or both;and means for restricting access to said slidable storage means.
 20. Asystem consisting of: a housing comprising a bottom wall, a first sidewall, a second side wall, a first end wall, and a second end wall, saidwalls defined by an upper edge, said walls being arranged to form acavity; a handle portion configured to enable manipulation of saidhousing, said handle portion comprising a U-shaped handle and atelescopic handle; a mobile portion configured to enable mobility ofsaid housing, said mobile portion comprising a pair of wheels defined bya diameter of about 4 inches; a thermally insulating interior wall, saidthermally insulating interior wall being received within said cavity,said thermally insulating interior wall being disposed generallycoplanar with said first side wall, said second side wall, said firstend wall, and said second end wall; at least one barrier being disposedto traverse said cavity, forming a plurality of lid compartments, saidplurality of lid compartments comprising a rail, said rail having adepression; a plurality of lids, said plurality of lids being pivotallyattached to said upper edge of said walls, said plurality of lids beingconfigured to pivot between an open position that enables access to saidplurality of lid compartments, and a closed position that encloses saidplurality of lid compartments, whereby each lid enables access to acorresponding lid compartment; a plurality of drawers comprising a lowersurface, a continuous drawer sidewall, and a drawer compartment, saidplurality of drawers being configured to be displaced to an openposition that enables access to said plurality of drawer compartments,and a closed position that encloses said plurality of drawercompartments, said lower surface being configured to be displaced alongsaid rail; a protruding lock being configured to extend from said lowersurface of said plurality of drawers, said protruding lock beingconfigured to engage said depression of said rail, whereby engagementbetween said protruding lock and said depression helps restrict saidplurality of drawers in said closed position, whereby disengagementbetween said protruding lock and said depression requires a force.